


a duty of the living

by LiveLaughLovex



Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Developing Friendship, Gen, Post-Episode: s01e07 Above the Knee, Spoilers for Episode: s01e07 Above the Knee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 00:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: "He liked peaches. Came from a family of farmers, he said. And he graduated from Yale. That's all I know. Two things, that's it."Post s01e07. Harper tries - and fails - to deal with the aftermath of Captain Dyer's death alone.





	a duty of the living

**Author's Note:**

> The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do that for them. - Lois McMaster Bujold

Despite Bard’s many offers to accompany her, Harper went to Captain Dyer’s funeral alone.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She _arrived_ alone. By the time the service itself began, Major Ferry was seated in the previously empty chair to her left. Captain Abraham filled the one to her right. Neither man said a word. They didn’t need to. For Harper, their presence was more than enough.

It was a beautiful service. Not a seat was left empty. Dyer’s brother spoke about his love and dedication to both God and country, said he’d have rather gone out early on, defending those he cared for most, than in his sleep at the age of ninety. Harper didn’t doubt that, even for a second, but she couldn’t help but think about the fact that he hadn’t been given a choice. He had died of a wound from a bullet he’d never seen coming, had drawn his final breath in her _arms_. Nothing about any of it had been anyone’s _choice_.

She lost herself in her thoughts while staring at the flag marking his grave after the coffin was completely covered by dirt. She stood there for nearly half an hour after everyone else left. She outlasted his fiancée, his mother. The only person she did _not_ outlast was Captain Abraham. She didn’t think that was a coincidence.

He didn’t say a word, didn’t try convincing her to leave. Instead, he simply stood there, silent but supportive, waiting until she was ready to go, allowing this one thing to be her choice. He was just… _there_. And, in that moment, it was enough.

She hadn’t realized how much it was worth, having people around her who cared about her, who wanted more than anything to keep her safe. She was on the other side of it now. She’d finally seen the light. She understood, and, as eye-opening as it’d been, she wished more than anything that she didn’t.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until a hand landed gently on her shoulder, squeezing slightly.

“Lieutenant,” she heard through the haze of her own thoughts, then, gentler, “Harper.”

“He liked peaches,” she murmured absently, eyes never leaving the small orange flag used to mark the fallen captain’s grave. “Came from a family of farmers, he said. He graduated from Yale. That’s all I – I’ve been trying to remember more about him. He had to have said more about himself than that, right? But it’s all I know. Those two things, that’s it. Everything else – I just… I keep drawing blanks.”

“You knew him less than twenty-four hours, Harper,” Abe pointed out quietly. “No one’s expecting you to recite his entire life story.”

“He _died_ ,” she whispered defeatedly. “One second, he was alive, and the next, he was – he was just _gone_.” She sniffled. “I always thought the training would be enough, that it’d make everything so clear when the time came. But it didn’t. Being a good Marine in a courtroom doesn’t translate to being good in the middle of a firefight, I guess.”

“There are a lot of Marines who’re _alive_ because of how good you were in the middle of that particular firefight, Lieutenant Li, and I’m almost positive every single one of them would probably disagree with your assessment.” Abe sighed when Harper simply shook her head, ignoring his words entirely. “You did a good job out there, Harper. More than that, you did your _best_.”

“If three people die when I’m at my _best_ , then God forbid I ever be let loose when I’m at my _worst_.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Harper,” the captain replied tiredly. “And you _know_ that. Stop being so damn hard on yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” she muttered apologetically. “I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

“A man died right in front of you. Tends to mess with your head.” Abe paused. “Look, I know you didn’t want to talk about it…”

“I still don’t,” she interrupted.

“And that’s fine,” he assured her. “I just – look, a month or so back, I told you I’d been hard on you for so long because I knew you could handle it, and I stand by that. But I also want to say that, if you’re having issues handling this, it’s okay. It doesn’t make you less of a lawyer, or less of a Marine. All it makes you is human.”

“Mm,” Harper replied, unconvinced. “I stand by what I said. I don’t want to talk about it,” she warned, turning completely around and eyeing him defiantly.

“Okay,” Abe agreed easily. “We don’t have to.”

She faltered slightly at that, not expecting him to surrender so easily. “Really?”

“I’m not going to force you to talk about something you don’t want to, Harper,” Abe replied exasperatedly. “Doesn’t do any good, not for me or for you. Especially for you. You aren’t going to be honest about anything, not until it’s your choice, so it sort of defeats the entire purpose to make you confide in me, doesn’t it?”

“I guess.” She still had her doubts, but she supposed she’d go with it. “Can I ask you one thing, though?”

“Sure.”

“You said it gets easier, lying to the people you care about. When’s that kick in, exactly?”

Abe smiled humorlessly. “That was a little bit of a lie itself, Harper. It doesn’t get easier to tell the lies. It just gets easier to make them believe you.” He kept pace with her as she left the fallen captain’s graveside. “You’re going to be okay, Lieutenant,” he said confidently.

“That a lie?” she questioned sardonically.

“No,” he assured her. “No, it’s not. I’ve never believed in anything more.”

For whatever reason, she couldn’t help but believe him.

**Author's Note:**

> Still in the process of figuring out these character's voices, so I apologize if it's a bit out of character. I absolutely adore the friendship between Abe and Harper, and, after seeing the look on his face when he returned after the ambush, I couldn't not write something.


End file.
